Naruto: The Leaves have Shadows
by shinken1
Summary: Since the 4th great ninja war life has been good for one Naruto Uzumaki. But How will he and his friends respond to new threats both from the past and the present?
1. Chapter 1

**Naruto: The leaves have Shadows**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto **

In the 3 years since the 4th great Shinobi war, a great many changes have occurred in the Shinobi world. No longer are the 5 great nations so individualistic in their existence. Instead the alliance has lived on and morphed into something truly spectacular. Shinobi, weapons and technology exchange programs have been set up increasing the quality of life for all. Most notably, an international police force has been established to combat the increase of raiders and missing ninjas since the war. All in all life was good, especially for one Naruto Uzumaki

Oooooooooooooooo

Hidden Leaf village

"You called for me Granny Tsunade?" A slight twitch of the eye was seen on the 5th's face.

"Yes brat. I know you haven't left the village one year, helping out as a teacher's assistant, and I thank you for that. But its time you get back into the field." The Hokage paused and appraised the young man before her. He has grown a bit taller than before. His golden locks would have hung to his shoulders if not for the ponytail he now sported. A few spiky locks fell over his forehead protector evoking images of Jiraya and his father Minato. Naruto's whisker marks had faded significantly making his linage of the 5th and Kushina Uzumaki more evident. At his outfit Tsunade suppressed a chuckle. Gone was the orange and black jumpsuit, replaced with black pants, a white long sleeved armored shirt. He also sported a black jacket with dark orange flames on the bottom and the word prophecy in orange on his back. 3 6's on each side alternating in yellow and red emblazed his collar_. 'He has grown so much,_' she thought.

Much more observant than he was in the past, Naruto noticed the turmoil that flashed in her eyes. "Granny, are you ok?" he asked.

A smile was her reply. "Yes Naruto, I'm ok. Now let's get on to business. I am assigning you a mission. This is nothing extreme. Just a B rank escort to get your feet wet if you will." Naruto's eyes lit up with the prospect of leaving the village again. He nodded signaling her to continue.

"This is a B ranked escort remember, so contact with the enemy is probable. Early indication is a few B ranked ninja and some raiders so stay on your guard," she said with a hard stare.

"Understood granny, I won't let you down," he affirmed in a slightly deeper voice than in the past.

"Good. The clients are a businessman from the Land of wind and his daughter. You are to escort them to the border where a contingent of Sand ninja will take over. Here is the password, "Tsunade said as she passed him a scroll. "You will be leading on this along with jonin Anko providing support. In addition you may choose two chunin or genin to accompany you. Any questions?" Naruto shook his hand as he scanned the document.

"I've made my decision on whom to bring Granny." A slight incline of the Hokage's head indicated for him to continue. "I would like to bring Hinata and Konohamaru."

"Hinata I understand," she started with a sly smirk causing Naruto to blush, "but Konohamaru? Why choose him?"

"Well, he is very crafty at setting traps, skilled in tracking and his stealth is amazing. Being trained by me always helps," he boasted a bit. " Oh and he really is quite good at shadow clones and henges, that will come in handy." Tsunade laughed and nodded at his logic. She became still for a moment, and then went through some hand signs and seals. Afterwards she seemed to relax.

Reaching for a bottle of sake she began, "Ok it's just us now. And all sound is silenced. Naruto before I give you a gift from the 3rd I must ask you something."

"Sure Hokage-sama, what is it?"

Raising an eyebrow at the formal title Tsunade began, "How much have progressed with the techniques left to you by your parents and Jiraya?"

"Ah, well dad's library is massive. There are well over 1,000 ninjutsu techniques, hundreds of taijutsu and genjutsu techniques some experimental, others complete. As far as sealing, I would say I'm at high adept level. Plus I'm very close to using _that _jutsu. Also I have at least 40 ninjutsu techniques mastered. I thought it best to focus on the ones most compatible with my skill and style. I am currently blending all the styles I have learned so far into my own taijutsu style. The basis of which is about 75% complete. It will never be a finished form. To me there is no such thing. As far as my mother, I am very close to being able to utilize her chakra chains in battle." Naruto paused for a moment to compose his self. Talking about those precious people who have crossed over still hurt something terrible.

" Pervy sage left me quite a bit of material as well. Truthfully I haven't even scratched the surface, perhaps 10 percent. I have been working more on his seal work and infiltration techniques more than anything. Also I have a new summoning contract: foxes. All in all I would say I am at least three times as strong as I was during the war," Naruto finished up with an uncharacteristic serious air to him. It was no secret that Naruto took the loss of Neji to heart. Training in all aspects of the Shinobi world for the last three years he vowed never to lose a comrade.

Tsunade stared at that for a second. "Very well brat. Sarutobi sensei left this letter and scroll for you. He intended to give to when you made chunin but he died and it was buried for a while. I just recently found it while looking for another place to hide my sake from Shizune. I'm just sorry I didn't find it sooner Naruto."

"It's OK granny. It couldn't be helped you know?"

"Indeed. Take care Naruto."

"Yes….granny," Naruto said as he dodged a stapler. Once outside his mind turned to the items he received_. 'I wonder what the old man left me?' he thought. _

_ '__**Hmm, the 3**__**rd**__** is probably apologizing for the past. As far as the scroll, it is more than likely techniques that our particular condition would be perfect for,' **_Kurama chimed in. Naruto thought for a moment then agreed.

_'Well, nothing left to do but inform my squad,' _he thought as he created 3 clones with no hint of smoke. Upon appearing they sprinted off to find the rest of his team.

Ooooooooooo

**The next morning**

"Good morning Naruto-kun," Hinata said to the blond ninja with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Yo, Naruto," Konohamaru greeted his captain who just arrived at the village gates, Anko and clients in tow.

"What I don't get greeting?' Anko pouted. "Well at least Naruto-kun greeted me thoroughly. Isn't that right Naruto-kun?" she purred suggestively while pulling the Shinobi close enough that her breast was flush against his arm. Hinata's eyes narrowed at this, but before she could speak Naruto disengaged himself and reappeared near Hinata and Konohamaru.

"Ok enough of that," he started looking nervously at Hinata, "Good morning everyone, we have a lot of ground to cover so let's get moving. " As they moved out introductions were made.

"This is our client Taki and his daughter Akane." All the Shinobi present greeted them while Konohamaru kept sneaking glances at Akane causing the girl to blush.

"What do I have something on my face?" she teased causing Konohamaru to sputter and look away. Looking at the scene Naruto couldn't help but laugh.

'He sure has grown,' he thought. Gone were the goggles and the scarf of old. His goggles were replaced with black shades. His outfit was a replica of his brother Asuma's sans the guardian 12 sash. On his hands he sported black fingerless gloves. No longer short in stature, he now stood a respectable 5'6.

"We should reach the boarder in 3 days' time. Everyone stay sharp."

"Yes captain!" chorused Hinata and Konohamaru in unison.

"Of course Naruto-kun," Anko purred causing Naruto to sweat dropped. Coincidently the temperature around Hinata dropped significantly.

**2 days later**

After two uneventful days of medium speed travel Naruto decided to set up camp. Currently Hinata and 2 clones of Naruto were scouting the perimeter. Konohamaru sent a few clones to set up traps and place some seals Naruto provided earlier designed to alert and incapacitate. Meanwhile 4 clones of Naruto concentrated on amassing nature energy on the treetops.

The original Konohamaru and Akane kept sneaking glances at each other to the amusement and worry of Naruto and Taki respectively. "So Naruto what is it like?" Taki asked. Naruto turned from the fire with a questioning look.

"What is it like being the village, or rather an international hero and one of the new Sannin?" Taki clarified.

" Oh. Well honestly I feel that my fallen comrades are the true heroes you know? I'm just happy to continue the legacy of Pervy sage," the blonde Shinobi answered with a laugh. "I used to crave acknowledgement but now I will become Hokage to protect and serve the village. I will lead my comrades to victory that is my nindo! Believe it! If people want to see me as a hero so be it, keeping my precious people safe is my only concern."

Taki considered that and nodded with a smile. 'It's just as they said. He is a warm soul that has been tempered by the world,' he thought.

"I see. Well then it looks like the ninja world is in good hands! I'm glad to have met you Naruto," Taki finished while glancing at his daughter and Konohamaru a frown forming on his face.

"Akane, may I ask you something?' Konohamaru asked her ever so politely, to which Akane giggled.

"You just did silly. But you can ask me another question."

"What is the land of wind like?" he asked while laughing. She thought for a moment.

"It's ok. The desert is pretty in its own way, especially the oasis. It's very different from the hidden leaf. For one thing the houses are made of compressed sand."

"Really, that's so cool," the young chunin exclaimed.

"Yeah it is pretty cool. But you guys have so many trees here. It's beautiful," Akane squealed softly. Just then Hinata and Naruto's clones came back to camp. They deposited a few rabbits and a pheasant before dispersing. The influx of memories caused Naruto to smile at Hinata.

"Your aim is good as ever Hina-chan."

"Thank you Naru-kun," she replied with almost no hint of shyness. "All clear on the perimeter. However those chakra signatures your clones picked up worry me. They are staying just out of range of my byakugan," Hinata reported. Naruto considered this for a moment before answering.

"Yeah me too. Chances are they will wait until early morning or late at night to attack. There is the possibility that our client is not the target at all. Or they may just be trying to steer clear of us all together. Shinobi can be very intimidating after all." He paused for a moment.

"Anko, send a few of your snakes to investigate. Small ones ok?" he ordered the purple haired Jonin.

"Boo, you're no fun" she teased but complied. " Summoning jutsu!" she cried slamming her hands down to the earth causing smoke to form. When the smoke cleared two snakes about 2 feet in length appeared.

"Yes mistress?"

" Yumi and Rin head north and scout the area. Do not engage anyone. This is a stealth thing ok? Afterwards report back to me."

"We shall do as you wish Mistress." And with that the two snakes slithered away seeking the enemy.

"Ok everyone let 's eat up and grab some shut eye. We leave at first light. Between my clones and the perimeter seals we should be fine. But just in case we sleep in shifts. Konohamaru, you're up first." Naruto ordered.

"Yes Captain," they all chorused. At that Naruto placed a hand behind his head and laughed.

"That's embarrassing. You guys don't have to do that." Everyone shared a laugh thing the same thing, _'same old Naruto'_

Meanwhile the shadows crept closer. Just outside Hinata's Byakugan the enemy waited. A massive man with a scar on his cheek extending to his neck stood impassively. He was bald with green eyes. His forehead sported a protector with an Iwa symbol with a line thru it. His outfit was plain and simple made up of copper colored ninja pants, a black short-sleeved shirt and black ninja shoes. He also sported a yin yang ring. Bracers engraved with a dragon and golem covered his arms, lefty and right respectively. Next to him stood a small but shapely woman. She wore a simple black and white kunouchi outfit with a red and black yin yang symbol of the back. A small tanto and a small fan sat on her waist. Both were silent for a moment. Then the man spoke.

"Be ready," his voice gruff but not unkind. No response was heard as he walked away. A sadistic smile crept on the woman's mouth sending a shiver through the bandits near her.

**Near The Village Hidden by a Waterfall**

The day started out so pleasant. A little tea, some "light" training, then the gift from the gods, Make out Tactics, so how did it come to this? Such were the thoughts of Kakashi Hatake, formally known as Kakashi of the Sharingan.

Currently he was engaged in a battle for his life with 3 A ranked ninjas. "Doton: Mud wall," he muttered as a massive fire ball zoomed towards him. _'Hmm I think I'll go with this combo,'_ he thought. Quickly he created a lightning clone then slipped underground just as the two other ninjas flanked him.

"Futon: Wind Dragon!"

"Suiton: Water Dragon!"

Both attacks hit the leaf ninja dead on with the force of a small bomb. The two ninjas sprinted over to confirm the kill. At that crucial point the clone exploded into arcs of lightning made more powerful by the mist created by the previous jutsus. Just as their cries stopped and they went limp the third ninja's life was ended by an up-close and personal lighting blade.

"How, how did you slip behind me?" she gasped.

"Simple really, you got careless when you assumed your combo did the trick," Kakashi informed her as the life drained from her body, all the while continually scanning for tricks. As he pulled his hand out of her body he was reminded of one of the reasons he quit being ANBU—too bloody. Shaking the blood off of his hand he stood still for a few seconds, then smirked.

"Are you done observing? "He asked.

"You can say that," a reply was heard as a man stepped out from the shadows. "I had to be certain who we were dealing with. Rumor had it that you had retired from the active life. Glad to see it's not true, I will enjoy collecting your bounty." Kakashi stiffened suddenly as his reality melted away to revel two of the ninjas he thought he killed standing near him plunging two swords into. _'Genjutsu'_ he realized. At that moment a loud explosion ripped through the forest while "Kakashi" vanished into a cloud of smoke.

"Akira!" yelled the female ninja. "See if Hiro is alive. Jin, you're with me." The three ninjas sprinted off, one seeking to save one life, the other two to end one. As they ran to the forest they encountered two different trails headed in opposite directions.

"Damn it, he's trying to divide our forces," the leader swore. Then a sinister grin spread across her face. "Too bad for him we know exactly where he is headed. Let's regroup and cut him off," she ordered.

"Right boss," the ninjas replied and headed off.

A/N - Don't hate me for the cliff hanger guys. Truat me its a neccassry evil. Till next time. Read and Review. Peace!


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto: The Leaves Have Shadows

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 2:

**Near the border of Fire and Wind**

Naruto was wrong. They struck midday hours before the rendezvous. It started off subtle with an area genjutsu that attempted to funnel them toward a certain area. It almost worked, but Hinata, who was running point re-activated her dojutsu and saw the flux in her team's chakra networks. In addition Anko's snakes reported a similar plan might be tried so they were quick to respond.

When one of Naruto's sage clones dispersed the original put his hand up in a pre-arranged signal. Hinata and Konohamaru gathered the clients and sped towards the rendezvous. They were accompanied by two of sage clones doing their best to travel stealthily. Meanwhile Anko and Naruto turned and engaged the enemy, the genjutsu broken shortly after it was detected.

Shuriken and kunai rained down on the leaf ninja from multiple angles. While deflecting the projectiles the leaf ninja pressed forward. Anko spotted a few attackers and promptly dispatched them with a few well-placed kunai.

"These guys are pussies!" she practically shouted with excitement. Despite himself Naruto grinned.

"Stay focused Anko. There are a few larger chakra signals in the area," he replied while catching an attackers hand and redirecting his attack so that his knife plunged into another foe coming from his left. A second later he sprung back simultaneously signing.

**"Futon: Wind Scythe,"** he intoned softly. Wind surged around his body then morphed into scythes which shot outwards into the trees cutting branches and limbs alike. Anko nodded in appreciation to the destruction as she buried a kunai into her opponents' heart.

Meanwhile Hinata and Konohamaru were rapidly approaching the rally point. Suddenly she spotted something high in the sky.

"Watch out Konohamaru!" she yelled as she dived to the side. The young man quickly created 2 shadow clones and grabbed the clients then proceeded to leap to avoid the attack. Descending from the sky a dragon of fire impacted the ground like a missile destroying a large swatch of trees in the process. With her Byakagun active she spotted a rather large bird circling overhead with a person seated. Two of Naruto's remaining Sage clones landed next to them.

"Are you OK Hina-chan?" the duplicate asked to which she nodded.

"I need you two to head off with Konohamaru. We are not too far from the drop-off site. I will stall him," Hinata ordered the clones. They looked worried but complied.

"Be careful Hinata-sempai," Konohamaru said before speeding away. She watched for a moment before steeling her spirit for the battle ahead. '_Now to deal with this situation'_ she thought. Bounding to the top of a tree she activated a storage scroll summoning a bow and quiver full of arrows. Notching an arrow while channeling her second chakra affinity she aimed then fired.

"**Raiton: Shadow arrow jutsu!"** Instantly hundreds of electricity charged arrows flew through the air, the buzzing they produced deafening. The figure deftly piloted the bird dodging the projectiles, but Hinata wasn't finished yet. Flashing through hand signs rapidly she started her next jutsu.

**"Suiton: Water bullet barrage!" **As the bullets caught up to her arrows, an interesting thing occurred. Upon collision the electricity flared creating a domino effect of sorts. One after another lightning from each arrow linked to each other forming a net of sorts from which there was no escape.

"Shit," was all the mystery figure got out before the lightning over took him. The bird vanished as his body fell from the sky with a loud boom upon hitting the ground. Hinata, while inwardly cheering did not let down her guard as she rushed towards the crash site. That alone saved her life.

From below a hand burst from the forest floor intent on snapping her neck. Leaping backward she barely got her guard up as the person was on her. Blocking a left jab, she grabbed the hand pulling her enemy toward her only to let go in order to avoid being run thru by a kunai. Following up with a roundhouse kick and then two shuriken her opponent was relentless.

Normally, taijutsu against a Gentle Fist user is suicide but Hinata's opponent was very good. Springing forward with a punch toward her stomach, then a left uppercut with a kunai, all of which were dodged by Hinata, the ninja seemed adamant to take her out quickly. A downward slash blocked by a kunai of her own Hinata created some space by leaning back and launching a kick that to his jaw, nearly breaking it. In the pause in the action Hinata got a good look at her enemy.

Standing at around 5'7 he looked to be around 15 with a scar on his right cheek. For clothes he wore black ninja pants and a white and black shirt styled in the Chinese fashion. It reminded Hinata of a yin yang symbol. The fierce look would frighten a lesser opponent, but having spared with Naruto in Kyubi mode she was not impressed.

"What are you after? Why have you attacked us?" she asked more to buy time for her shadow clone to get into position. She received no reply except a smirk followed by the ninja flashing through a series of hand seals.

"**Katon: Great fireball jutsu!**" he shouted and a second later a large fire ball shot toward Hinata.

"**Suiton: Water wall!"** came her counter. The two jutsus clashed creating a heavy mist, then silence as they prepared to clash.

Oooooo

As Hinata faced off with her foe Naruto and Anko had their own trouble. Simply put the enemy was huge. "Naruto Uzumaki, I've been waiting a long time to kill you", he said his green eyes burned with ferocity and hatred.

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto asked cautiously. Say what you want about Kakashi's lazy ways but after the war he threw himself into training Naruto and Sakura with the zeal of a psychotic slave driver. Looking underneath the underneath was now fully ingrained into him and as such he knew he had to get every scrap of information. Judging by the ninja's face he looks to be around the age his father would be or even a bit younger. The giant was not familiar to Naruto even with his knowledge of the bingo books.

"You will know soon enough Uzumaki," practically spitting his name out. "For now we dance. Consider it a small test if you will. I will enjoy this, believe it!" Naruto's eyes narrowed at his catchphrase being said in such a viscous manner. Moving slightly to away from Anko in order to present a harder target, Naruto started infusing chakra in his legs.

"**Kit, be careful. There is something odd about his chakra,"** Kurama chimed in.

'_Got it," _he thought to the monster fox. In a burst of speed Naruto rushed the man while Anko circled right. Closing in Naruto waited until the last second before activating springing his chakra blades from his wrist holsters. The sage wind chakra channeled through them extended his reach by quite a bit. Somewhere Kakashi smiled knowing his teaching skills have been validated. With speed belaying his size the enemy jumped back then lashed out with a punch intent on taking Naruto's head off.

"**Hidden shadow snake hands!"** Anko cried forcing the man to abandon his follow up attack as snakes poured from her sleeves. Capitalizing on that, Naruto pressed forward as two shadow clones appeared on either side of the giant and attempted to grab him. _'Both seal less and smokeless, how impressive', _he thought throwing his arms out to the sides; the ninja dispelled the clones with solid hits.

A punch thrown by Naruto was parried to the side followed by a counterpunch, which in turn Naruto blocked. Keeping up the initiative the huge Shinobi shot forward with another punch combo all of which were blocked by Naruto. Anko choose this time to intervene with 3 shuriken thrown at the attackers' feet forcing him to dodge. Another shadow clone sprung into being jamming a kunai into his back. A split second later the man dissolved into mud. Both Naruto and Anko tensed,

Just then Naruto sensed a massive buildup of chakra pooling under Anko's feet. "Below!" he bellowed an instant before the ground dissolved into a hole. Anko always quick on her feet jumped into the air forming seals as she did so.

**"Katon: Fire dragon bullet!"** A medium dragon shaped fire ball shot into the hole then detonated with so much force the ground split in several places. Silence reigned as the two ninjas took cover in the nearby trees.

"Think we got him?" Anko hand signaled to Naruto.

"No. I sense him with sage mode but I can't pinpoint him," signaled back. Slowly an interesting smell wafted to their noses followed by whispering that grew louder in their ears.

"Kai!" they both yelled seeking to disrupt whatever genjutsu being cast. Turing to each other both were shocked to see the other dead and their opponent standing over their comrade.

"You Bastard! **Taju Kage Bushin** **no jutsu**!" Hundreds of Narutos' appeared intent on avenging his fallen comrade.

**"Katon: Shadow shuriken jutsu!"** Hundreds of flaming projectiles were sent out by Anko to dispatch the enemies she saw coming at her from the tree. What Naruto saw were hundreds of ninjas tossing burning projectiles.

Quickly dodging he formed a series of seals and produced a thunderous shout laced with an enormous amount of wind chakra effectively pushing the projectiles off course_. 'Heh __**Futon: Voice of the Kyubi**__ works fine,' _he thought. Just then Kurama agitated Naruto's chakra restoring his vision of reality.

**'Brat, that was a doubled layered genjutsu. Very nasty stuff,'** the fox said. In his mindscape Naruto grinned and did a nice guy pose.

_'Thanks Kurama.'_ To which the fox snorted.

**"Just hurry and wrap this up. I still don't like the feel of his chakra."**

_'Yeah, now that I'm in sage mode I can tell there is something up with those bracers. It's almost like they are alive. In fact they kind of remind me of the Biju.'_

Vision now cleared he spotted Anko still under the effect of the genjutsu barreling towards him. A clone popped into existence in a nearby tree and began to gather nature energy. Meanwhile Naruto engaged Anko with a plan in mind.

Anko's snake style taijutsu made her a handful to deal with. Sudden and precise it was hard to shake the feeling that she was in fact a predator intent on having him for a meal. A sudden strike at his chest followed up by a trench knife aimed at his eye put Naruto on the defensive. His senses alert for his true enemy he struck back focusing nature energy into his legs, he seemingly vanished then reappeared at Anko's back. Pushing his chakra into Anko in a cross between Gentle fist and frog kumite he broke the genjutsu.

_'Hmm looks like Uzumaki has improved quite a bit. No matter the plan will succeed,'_ the ninja thought.

"Gaki, what the hell happened? Never mind it must have been a double layered genjutsu. But where the hell is that bastard?" Anko asked. As if answering the question the ninja rose from the earth.

"Well, well it looks as though your victory over Madara and Obito wasn't a fluke after all. It's a pity you weren't able to end the Uchiha once and for all. Perhaps I should track him down and finish the job hmm?" the giant taunted the leaf ninja.

"Why you... Don't even think about harming my friend. For attacking my comrades I will crush you!" Slowly a golden aura began to appear around Naruto and his eyes changed color as the cloak of the nine tails surrounded him. The giant's eyebrow rose.

"Don't be hasty young one. We will meet again Naruto Uzumaki. I am called Sago. Know me and fear me, for I will crush all you hold dear. I will turn all you love to ash," he said then dispelled into smoke. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he realized that was a shadow clone, the real Sago probably miles away by now.

Anko turned to Naruto her senses still buzzing. Everything felt so intense after a fight. Forcing her breath and heart rate to normal she said, "Normally I love a good fight but I have a very bad feeling about this. We must inform the Hokage."

He took in Anko's serious demeanor and the fact that she didn't make a joke about her juices flowing combined with his own instincts. "I agree,' was all he said before performing the summoning jutsu. A second later a small blue and greyish toad appeared.

"Naruto-sama, what is your wish?"

"Gamaden, I hope all is well." The toad nodded indicating this to be the case. "Great. Listen I needed you to deliver this Granny Tsunade," he said handing him a scroll describing the recent events, along with a request for back up just in case.

"It will be done right away Naruto –sama." Dispelling himself back to Mt. Myoboku he planned to enter the leaf village via a portal Naruto installed in his connecting the two places.

"Come on Anko, let's get to the others." She nodded and they both took to the trees.

Ooooooo

Meanwhile Hinata was playing a deadly game of hide and seek. The mist created by the jutsu clash was thickened by Hinata's use of the Hidden mist jutsu. Unlike other members of the Hyuuga, Hinata had no problem learning ninjutsu and whatever else in order to become stronger. Already by her example she has started her clan on the road to change. One of the main things she wishes to do is confront the council and turn them from the stuffy ways. By forcing certain issues she is slowly setting the stage for something wondrous: revolution. Among the new techniques she has learned is something called **Suiton: Eye of the world**. In essence it is a powerful sensory jutsu used in conjunction with a technique like the hidden mist. Hinata is able to literally feel and track anyone who comes in contact with the chakra laced mist,very useful in discerning movements of shadow clones and the original.

_'Hmm, the mist is too thick to see in even with that Byakugan of hers. But that lighting nature might be a problem,_'' her opponent thought. Creating a mud clone then slipping underground he travelled near the trees and waited.

Just then a shout of **Ration: God's hand** rang out throughout the area. Arcs of lighting chakra in the form of a hand streaked towards the mist and grabbed the young fighter. .5 seconds later it detonated resulting in a hellish flash of light and an unearthly roar.

_'That should draw out the real him. I'm so glad I learned that water sensory jutsu,'_ Hinata thought. Just then she picked up the original about to burst from the ground directly below the tree she was perched in. As soon as an earth chakra hardened hand sought to tear her ankle off an arrow coated with lighting launched by her shadow clone streaked through the sky only to be intercepted by a smallish lady with blood red hair.

"Kenpachi, stop fucking around, we are leaving," she said rather blandly.

' _'I didn't see her even with my Byakugan nor did I sense her. I must be careful,_' thought Hinata.

"Oh come on Lady Yui, it was just getting interesting," he whined.

"Kenpachi, I won't say it again. We are leaving." Yui said with a voice that promised unspeakable horror, it was as if it was made from the bitterest cold and the hardest steel. Without another word the two disappeared in a fire shunshin, the women's eyes piercing Hinata's own. To Hinata's credit she neither flinched nor looked down, but stared impassively.

"Curious. Well, the rest of the team is approaching I'd better head toward Konohamaru. They will catch up eventually..." With that she took off to regroup and complete the mission.

**A/N: A lot of action in order to introduce some of the villains. Rest assured they will be back and it may get a bit brutal. Also what do you all think of Naruto's fighting style. I didn't want to make him overpowered but he is a lot smarter and stronger than before. This is only a taste of what he can do. Next time we revisit Kakashi, and perhaps we will get a glimpse of another fan favorite. Until then please Read & review. Peace!**


	3. Chapter 3

Naruto: The Leaves Have Shadows

Chapter 3:

**Mount Myoboku**

A small toad with white hair tossed and turned, sweat beading on his green forehead. Suddenly he awoke with a gasp. Another small toad sporting blue hair looked on with concern.

"What is it Pa? Are you ok?" The toad in question wiped sweat off his forehead and shook his head no.

"I've had a vision, a terrible, terrible vision Ma. I fear for Naruto boy and the ninja world." At that the lady toad eyes widened in shock and fright. "We must hurry and see the Elder." he finished. His partner nodded and followed him out their home towards the great Elder.

"Oh dear Pa, I suppose we may have to bring Naruto boy here for some more intense training. I just hope it will be enough," she said with a slight tremor to her voice. The two quickly reached the temple where the great Elder resides. Despite the late hour the guards almost seemed to be expecting them. As they walked up the stairs there seemed to be an aura of excitement and uncertainty. Eventually they reached the chamber where the Great toad sage lived. His massive form was further enhanced by his ancient eyes, which at the moment peered into a crystal ball. Inside the ball a picture Naruto Uzumaki and Choji walking through Konoha could be seen. Choji handed Naruto two books. The titles read: Intermediate Funjutsu for dummies and Strategy and Tactics: A shinobi's guide to greatness.

Stopping before the large toad the two smaller ones bowed then the male spoke. "Honorable One, I fear a great tragedy will befall us. One with terrible eyes I have seen along with a slim ray of hope."

"Fukasaku my boy I am well aware. Unfortunately we can do nothing except send a warning to Lady Tsunade and reverse summon Naruto when the time is right. "

"Yes I see that now. I just hope he survives."

**The Border of The Hidden Mist village and Kumo**

A man sat on a boulder lost in thought. His eyes closed, his face relaxed in repose. His black hair cut a bit shorter than in his past framed his face. His hand flexed as a bit of pain went thru it bringing back memories of that fateful day 3 years ago. Not for the first time he thanked Lady Tsunade for completing the prosthetic arm empowered by the First's DNA. Now if he could only figure out how to do his wood style.

'Naruto, I wonder what you are up to now? No matter I have a job to do,' he thought. With that Sasuke vanished and reappeared in the trees near a certain caravan moving along at a sedate pace. It was another assassination mission, the 4th in a row actually. The 5th recently discovered a crime ring backed by very shadowy people seeking to infiltrate Fire countries government. As such Sasuke and Kakashi were tasked with tracing down and eliminating the threat. To be honest he knew it this a loyalty test. As a Shinobi it would be easy to fake the target's death in order to utilize his network to gain power. But he wasn't thinking along those lines. His mind was somewhere else.

'_Like Danzo was the shadow of the 3__rd__'s light so too will I be the shadow to you when you become Hokage Naruto. It's the least I can do for the loser,_' he thought with a smirk. His particular target was the most the type people least expect, the most trusted of people. He was in fact the chief physician to a high ranking official. He had been feeding information for years to his organization. Kakashi- via Jiraiaya's spy network received word that he was to terminate said official. The timing was disturbing. If this man died right now then talks with a few smaller counties vital to increased trade and stability would fail.

Bounding along keeping up easily with the caravan Sasuke scanned the security, activating his dojutsu, one red sharingan and one purple rinnegan with tomoe. _'Finally a straggler,'_ he thought. As the caravan stopped one guard wandered away to relieve himself.

Suddenly and silently as a falcon striking, Sasuke appeared then peered into the man's eyes just as he finished. **"Tsukuyomi "**was the last thing the man heard as his world became hell. Once inside the genjutsu world learning all about the man was child's play. Slipping back into caravan in a henge of the guard he waited for his opportunity. One thing Kakashi taught him after the war was patience. After all a ninja is one with the shadows until he becomes the blade.

His opportunity came later that night. As they set up camp Sasuke activated an area genjutsu seal placing everyone in a temporary sleep. Simply walking into the targets tent he drew his sword and stabbed him through the heart his primary mission was completed. After seizing whatever information he had Sasuke stole away into the night.

**Naruto's House- Hidden Leaf village**

At the moment peace reigned. The scent of miso ramen and vegetables wafted throughout the house signifying breakfast being made. Naruto's house, formally the 4th Hokage's home was remarkably clean. More than likely this was due to the influence of a certain paled eyed woman. As he consumed the gift from the gods Naruto's mind was split between the letter the third gave him and the recent enemy he encountered.

_'Kurama I need to ask you something._

_ '_**'What is it Kit? I'm trying to sleep,"** the fox said looming large in his mindscape.

_'Hey it's almost time for our training session. But never mind that, do you know of any chakra/nature energy constructs besides the biju? _Naruto thought to the 9 tails. Kurama went silent for a moment. One could almost feel his powerful memory at work turning back centuries like pages in a novel.

**'Hmm, the only names I can think of are the Elementals. But I was just a kit when they roamed the earth. Last I heard they were either banished or sealed away. Personally I have never come across them so I don't know what they are like directly. Sorry Naruto I have no more information to give.'**

_'That's ok Kurama, at least now I have a name. That's more than what I had a minute ago.' _ With this new information to ponder Naruto once again turned to the letter he received. From the man he considered his grandfather. It began:

_"Dear Naruto, regrettably my time has ended. I say regrettably because we were never able to do the things I wished. I was never able to provide the care and training I wanted for you, my precious grandson. Your father Minato entrusted me to look after you and try as I might I failed. The blasted council and fear of potential enemies prevented me from doing more. For that I am truly sorry. _

_ But enough of lamenting the past, let us speak of the present and your future. You have grown strong and you will grow stronger and wiser still. You will become a splendid ninja Naruto. I knew so when you returned from the lad of waves. Naruto you have that rare ability to inspire others. Although others may see you as the clown, I know better. Give them time and they will acknowledge you for who you are not what you hold. I have nothing but high hopes for you._

_ Allow an old man to impart some wisdom onto you. Temper your emotions and hone your instincts Naruto. There are times where a Shinobi must be stoic and assess everything. Then there are times where your feelings are all you have; know the difference well. Also plan ahead yet be free in the moment. Refinement of these skills will keep you and your love ones safe. Also Naruto despite not wanting to be a pervert in in time you will develop a real interest in forming a partnership. I assure you it is completely natural. So be observant, it is often the one we least expect to lead us to happiness. Train hard and keep that attitude of yours son._

_ -Sandaime Sarutobi Hirizen_

Wordless Naruto simply put the letter back into the now tear spotted envelope and placed it alongside Jiriaya's letter to him and a photo of his parents bowed and left to train. Upon reaching the training ground bit his thumb and went through the necessary seals.

"Summoning Jutsu: Kurama!" A large puff of smoke dissipated to reveal a large 9 tail fox. In the village everyone stopped briefly as the intense wave of power washed over them. Luckily Naruto took precautions by telling the Hokage about his planned training as well as setting a barrier seal array around the training field. In the case of a particularly powerful attack threatening to fly off to the village it would hit the barrier and be drained, sending the energy collected to various generators located throughout the village.

Though large, if one was acquainted with the 9 tails they would note that he was much smaller than during the 4th Shinobi war.

**"Naruto are ready for this? And are you sure the Summon seal will hold up? The last time we tried this you passed out,"** Kurama rumbled sounding almost concerned for the blonde haired one. Naruto cheekily grinned as he waved it off.

"Of course I am. That only happened last time because I wasn't ready for the drain. I have since learned that I can only summon you with 4 tails worth of power or less. Plus I should be able to add up to three more tails before you must return to me. We will be fine."

**"Feh, If you say so brat. Now let's get to it."**

"Ha that's fine with me. I hope you're ready fuzzy-chan." With that Kurama roared and took a swipe at Naruto his claws forming miniature tornados as they passed harmlessly by. Nimbly avoiding the giant fox's attacks Naruto sought to devise a plan of attack.

_'Hmm Kurama is massively powerful even at only 3 tails strength. Also his size makes regular attacks almost pointless. Although, perhaps pinpoint attacks with extreme force will do the trick,' _he thought.

"Taju kage bushin," Naruto cried as 25 clones popped into existence. As the massive fox sought to home in on the real Naruto by thinning his clones Naruto had 10 of his clones directly engaged Kurama while 5 burrowed underground. The other 10 stood back ready to weave signs for various jutsu.

"Everyone got the plan!"

"Yosh!" the clones chorused. Sprinting up a nearby tree narrowly avoiding a swipe of Kurama's tail the real Naruto began weaving seals.

**"Katon: Great dragon devastation!"** With a mighty burst of chakra and a push of his hands the air around him burst into flames and took on the shape of a mighty dragon that surged toward the 9 tails. When it reached close enough the clones that took a step back jumped into action.

**"Futon: Pressure damage!** " The compressed air multiplied by 10 did the job of trapping Kurama and amplifying the already powerful fire attack causing an explosion of fire that could be seen from the village proper. The ANBU observing was semi shocked at the power of the young Uzumaki.

Suddenly a massive paw shot out and destroyed the remaining clones above ground. Sensing danger 2 clones underground resurfaced underneath the fox and exploded. The attack threw off Kurama's aim resulting in a misfire of the mini biju dama he was charging. However the biju was quick to recover.

Tail speeding thru the air he connected with the blonde tearing the tree he was perched on out of the ground. Then jumping high into the air he punched the air semi rapidly forming concussive blasts of air and fire. Still a bit dizzy Naruto rolled and dodged instinctively pulling out smoke bombs to sound a tactical retreat.

**"Naruto I would have never taken you for the type to run from battle. Afraid you cannot match me?" **the Kyubi taunted while seeking to pinpoint the youth's position with his sensor skills. So far Naruto has been doing an excellent job of masking his presence especially his emotions.

"Your mine Fuzzy-chan! Doton: Yomi numa!" Immediately the ground under Kurama turned into a massive swamp. The 9 tails roared and began to break free. Seeing he only had a bit of time Naruto acted quickly. Jumping high into the air he flew thru the required seals.

"Summoning Jutsu," he yelled. A cloud of smoke was seen followed by a rather large blue toad dropping from the sky directly onto Kurama.

"**Naruto is everything ok?" **

"Yeah I'm just training. You'd better go before the fox tries to smash you. Thanks a bunch." Without a word the toad vanished in a cloud of smoke. Grumbling Kurama freed himself.

**"Very good brat, your tactics have come a long way. Although I'm surprised you didn't use any seals."**

"Well the last couple clones underground had special seals placed inside them. They are extreme gravity seals. I actually made them to fight against either large summons or large groups of enemies. Although now that I think of it could be a nasty surprise in a one on one fight as well," Naruto finished flashing a foxy grin.

**"Well don't let it go to your head but you've defiantly came a long way brat. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to take a nap. If you don't mind try and summon me on your next mission. It feels nice to be out and about," **Kurama said almost wistfully. Naruto thought about that for a moment.

"Hmm, how about this, shrink down to a normal sized fox and enjoy the village. It's time for them to get over the past anyways. Plus most everybody knows exactly what happened all those years ago so there should be no real resentment. After all it wasn't your fault." Kurama snorted gratefully and began to shrink down, the surplus charka seeping back into Naruto. Taking their time they walked through the village noticing the stares and the whispers at seeing the fox. Some were shocked and appalled, and others were generally happy at seeing the blonde hero and his familiar. Such was the overwhelming sense of peace that the foreboding building since his last mission was temporality displaced. At least for the one called Naruto Uzumaki. Kakashi however was not so fortunate.

**Outskirts of Kumo**

"Just a bit further," Kakashi panted. He had lost track how long he had been running. This was something he was not accustomed to. After all was an S ranked ninja, even without the sharingan. However his foes were skilled and outnumbered him at least 3 to 1. More importantly they seemed to know exactly where he was headed. The Hokage would not be pleased that they had spies within the ranks. .

Just ahead Kakashi spotted what he was looking for, a Shinobi police force outpost. Flaring his chakra 3 times let Kumo ANBU know someone was in the area, as well as the police force that he was a friendly being pursued. Hoping that the message was received he sprinted towards some cover and prepared an ambush_. 'Enough of this cat and mouse shit',_ he thought. He had been itching to retaliate after they ambushed him again two days ago.

**Flashback**

_It was quiet, much too quiet actually. To Kakashi's well-honed instincts this screamed ambush. Sure enough 3 kunai with explosive tags rained down on his position, forcing him to jump away. As soon as he moved he felt a surge of chakra then the earth erupted into a dragon seeking to crush him. Thru the dirt, noise and shrapnel he managed to keep his cool and substituted with a kunai he dropped earlier for this type of situation._

_ With the element of surprise gone Kakashi proceeded to push back hard. Engaging with two of the ninja in a fierce hand to hand battle he slowly began to get the upper hand. Ducking a kick then rolling between the ninjas he popped back up with a kunai and slashed at them with lightning fast speed. One blocked a charka enhanced blow only to receive a kick to the stomach sending him into a nearby boulder._

_ Meanwhile the other ninja seeking to capitalize threw a flurry of punches and kicks, all of which Kakashi met blow for blow. Seeing this getting out hand a third ninja joined the fray._

_**"Katon: Great Fire annihilation!" **__A the massive wall of flames bore down catching Kakashi's two opponents but missing the Konaha ninja as he sunk underground.' They have no regard for their teammates. How despicable' he thought. Having caught wind of more Shinobi approaching Kakashi decided to leave the scene and headed for Kumo._

**Present**

Sniffing the air he knew that his pursuers had fallen back for the moment. Not taking any chances he sent a messenger hawk back to the village requesting back up for his return trip. "Now let's see what the big guy has to say about this rather disturbing information," said as he the ANBU and police force converged on his position. Shortly thereafter he was escorted into the Village hidden in the Clouds

"


	4. Chapter 4

**Naruto: The Leaves Have Shadows**

**A/N: ** Peace. Apologies if last chapter seemed like it ended abruptly. Also I hope the training scene was done well. I'm trying to give you a sense of Naruto's growth. He is no longer a two trick pony (-_-). Anyways I have not decided on the actual length of the overall story but this arc will be coming to a close shortly. The events thus far are most defiantly not filler as you will see in this chapter. Actually I really don't do filler just slight plot movements. But as always read, and review. 1 love.

**Chapter 4**

Stillness reigned in Kumo. The early morning silence was pierced by a loud shout from the Raikage's office reverberating throughout the village proper.

"What!" The sound of a desk being pulverized quickly followed the loud shout. The splintering wood caused all those present to sweat drop. "There are assassins in my village! I'll kill them myself!" Ay shouted. A tall dark-skinned man with a look so lazy you'd swear he was a Nara tried to calm his leader down.

"Boss, we have to stay calm and cool about this. All we know is the a plot by a group calling themselves The Order of the Red Sun. We don't know their members or how high up they are placed in the 5 nations," Daruri explained. At this point Kakashi decided to intervene.

"That's not quite true. Thanks to the work of one of my students we now know a rough timetable of the attempt on your life. According to Sasuke's finding it is supposed to go down sometime on your to or from your meet with Tsunade," the tall leaf Jonin said.

Ay growled at this but made no further comment, his mind furiously seeking all angles. Contrary to popular belief he was not a brute, but a highly intelligent man prone to emotional outbursts.. On the one hand this made strange timing. All the nations were at peace and the people of Lightning country were happy with his village's performance. The experience with Madara served as a spark signaling the beginning of a new era. On the other hand he was a ninja and these types of things happen. But he was at a loss at what this would truly accomplish, after all successor was already been named. No, something was fishy about this.

"They want to cast suspicion on you Daruri," Ai concluded.

"Me? I don't understand Boss."

"If the attempt succeeds I have no doubt certain false information will be leaked implicating you in my murder. Doing so would make your assent problematic. We must find out who is behind this so I can snap their puny neck." Kakashi considered this for a moment before speaking.

"I'm not exactly sure how your village's inner politics functions, but perhaps someone on your council is your best bet. More likely a family member or apprentice to someone on your council." Ay and Darui looked at each other for a moment then exclaimed "Tenchi!" The Raikage continued.

"Of course it would be him. That old fool has wanted this seat ever since my father's time. "He looked over to his right hand man. " Darui, find me the proof I need to crush him." A quick nod then the lanky Jonin disappeared in a lightning body flicker.

"Well now that is all settled, how about we discuss counter measures?" the white haired ninja suggested with a sinister tone.

**Hidden Leaf Village**

Standing at her cousin's grave Hinata didn't know what to feel. As always pride filled her breast remembering Neji's exploits, but sadness soon followed. They were in the middle of repairing their fractured relationship, and in fact spoke of things to be when Hinata not Hanabi took over the clan. Before the war they often trained together working on improving the Juken. Indeed Neji and she actually laid the groundwork of a whole new style that would revolutionize the Hyuuga. Now another emotion took root: acceptance.

She and Naruto had come a long way, Hinata couldn't help but Neji gave them his blessing. "Neji, you'd be happy to know we are all doing well. Hanabi has made chunin in record time. I think she has crush on the third's grandson." She laughed at that a little bit then continued.

"Father is well…Father, but he has softened a bit after the war. I think he gets that in this world we are not promised the next breathe, so we must take our fill while we can. Naruto and I are doing well. In fact he is going to ask for Father's blessing soon." She paused as a tear slipped from her eye wishing he was here in person to laugh and talk with her. Sniffing she wiped the tear and resolved herself.

"Oh hey, I am close to completing the Assassins fist. If I get the opportunity I will try it out on my next mission. When Naruto returns I will ask how close he is to being able to remove the caged bird seal. I will change this clan Neji. I must." Pausing again she took a few seconds to remember not just the moment of his death but the good times they spent together. "Well I have to go now. Hokage-sama wishes to speak to me. Bye Neji, I'll come again soon."

With that Hinata left the gravesite. The sun and clouds seemed to be in perfect harmony over the village. It was almost as if a caged bird flew. As she ran over the rooftops she couldn't help but marvel at the recovery of the village. The joyous vibe of the now larger village almost made one forget the horror that took place just 3 years ago. Nearing the Hokage's tower she felt perplexed. Why did Lady Tsunade wish to see her? The report from that B-ranked mission a week ago was turned in and there were no pressing matters that she knew of. In fact she had already received another mission via her sensei's messenger this whole affair was as a certain Nara would say was troublesome.

All too soon she entered and was ushered in by the chunin stationed there. Sitting down she eyed Tsunade's normally messy desk. Today it was almost bare. Perhaps she finally broke down and burned the offending piles of paper. No more than likely shadow clones were the cause. In any case the two women stared at each other for a few moments. The intensity of the Hokage's stare made Hinata feel like that genin who used to wither under her Father's glare long ago. Summoning her new found strength she managed to return the stare in a non-disrespectful way, dignified and poised, worthy of a clan head indeed.

"30 D-ranked, 25 C-ranked, 30 B-ranked, 15 A- ranked and 2 S-ranked mission," Tsunade's voice rang out without preamble, clear and strong.

"Hokage-sama?" she questioned confused.

"Those are your mission stats to date. In addition you are recognized as a war hero for your exploits during the 4th Shinobi war, as well as a listing in the Bingo books as the Shinigami of The Leaf. Currently you are listed as an A-ranked ninja with express orders not to engage at close range and without backup. That is quite impressive for one so young. But my question is this: Why aren't you Jounin yet?'

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief_. 'Ah, I see. So that's what this all about,'_ she thought. "Hokage-sama, you are aware of my current …status within my clan right?"

"In part, I'm aware of them stripping you the clan heir position. But what does this have to do with you becoming Jounin?"

"I have a plan to achieve my goal of changing the Hyuuga. I will first challenge my sister officially for the position. Unofficially the stage has already been set. Afterwards I may or may not challenge my Father to become clan head. That depends on the Elders. If I challenge her as Jounin they will claim the difference in power as unfair. But if we hold the same rank there can be little doubt of fairness. After all I'm the failure who was bested by her younger sister."

Tsunade sat silent for a moment considering the potential for change, both positive and negative. On the one had that particular clan could use a push into the modern times. The lack of ninjutsu and the caged bird seal are in her opinion stifling the Hyuuga. On the negative this could launch a civil inside the Hyuuga potentially spilling over into the rest of the leaf as a whole. Yes they were at peace with the other large nations, but what of other hidden threats. She would be lying if she said that Kakashi's and Sasuke's recent reports haven't been worrying. This Way of The Red Sun with their uncanny ability to infiltrate the Daimyo's government had her extremely nervous.

However if her hunch was correct, Hinata's plan and the following changes could her clan even more powerful. As Hokage, Tsunade made it her business to know all her ninja's abilities and Hinata has come a long way.

"So I take it you wish to shatter the Elder's illusion that Hanabi is far superior to you as well as lessening their power?" she asked the young lady.

"Exactly. The Elders are far too predictable in their reaction to stimuli. No doubt they will stipulate that I be branded if I lose. I plan to counter that with the clause that ifI win the cage bird seal practice be revoked and made illegal," she finished with passion igniting her eyes. Tsunade nodded and raised an eyebrow at that declaration. 'It appears that she is defiantly more than she seems. Those are very bold plans',' Tsunade thought.

Hinata continued, "I am positive I will win. This is why I cannot become a Jounin yet Hokage-sama. I must put on certain appearances. Though they are quite suspicious of me, considering my recent fame if I leap in rank all my planning will be for naught. Father approves of this, albeit in a tacit way. I suppose our battlefield bonding has a lot do with it.

**Flashback: 1year after the war**

Hinata was exhausted mentally and physically. After a tough B-ranked, which will probably be bumped up to an A-ranked retrieval mission, in which she took on Jounin level missing-nins from Kumo she just wanted to sleep. Returning to the compound she hoped to do just that. Instead she was summoned to meet with her father post haste. Oh joy of joys. After changing clothes she sat across from the clan head. Her father looked at her impassively as always.

"Hinata, my daughter, do you think I've been unfair to you?" he asked without preamble. Hinata was startled by the unexpected question said nothing. Determined not to slip into old habits she steeled herself and took a breath_. 'The truth this time, I will tell the truth,' _she thought.

"Yes. I think you have been a bit unfair in your dealings with me." An eyebrow raised indicating surprise at the answer.

"Explain," he intoned.

"Father, all my life you have treated me like a failure. It has always been 'Good, but not good enough 'or 'you're not performing to expectations'. You have constantly compared me to others and their "ideal" of a "true" Hyuuga instead of seeing me for who I am and what I could be. With your cold words you have beaten my confidence to levels nonexistent. If not for Naruto I don't know where I would be, most likely dead in a ditch somewhere. Worse still you or perhaps the Elders pit Hanabi and I against each other. In fact in many ways you have been downright cruel. Do I remind you of mother so much that it hurts you to be kind to me?" Hinata expressed with tears left unshed in her eyes. With each word a weight lifted off her chest. Conversely with each word Hiashi felt a slow buildup of pressure in his mind and heart.

'_Guilt I suppose. Hinata I have wronged you so,'_ he thought. Taking her words into consideration he answered. "I see. For that I am truly sorry Hinata-chan. Your mother would be ashamed to know me right now. The truth is that I have hid behind clan responsibilities in lieu of being a father. We will speak again at a later time. Now, if you will excuse me I have far less important matters to deal with, but they must be done." Despite the abrupt ending to the meeting Hinata felt something shifted in their relationship, but only time will tell.

"Yes Father." Upon leaving she snuck a glance backwards and glimpsed the man behind the position for the first time in a long while. A single tear slid down his cheek. Seeing it hope bloomed in her heart. Perhaps there was still time to fix this.

**End Flashback**

"…The next day I found a scroll on the ancient Gentle Fist, as well as scrolls on advanced elemental manipulation," Hinata finished.

Tsunade nodded and said, "I see. Be at the training ground #50 at 7am tomorrow. As of now you are off active rotation. You will be meeting someone who will help you."

"Yes Lady Tsunade. Thank you." With that Hinata left feeling the tides of her battle shift.

**Unknown:**

Lady Rei was pissed. Not only did she lose Hiro, her genjutsu specialist, to that bastard Kakashi, as well as another solider to an ill-timed katon jutsu, but now that psycho Kenpachi has been deployed to her battlefield. Of course she would never say that to his face. Among the inner circle of The Order of The Red Sun Kenpachi is considered the 3rd strongest. Although technically they are all equals, Kenpachi is a hard match up for her. His immunity to poisons, her strong suit, made it an especially difficult challenge. Also his sheer lust for battle combined with his regenerative bloodline made him a monster on the battlefield. So far her mission to kill the Leaf's jounin before he alerted the Raikage was a failure. However all was not lost.

Currently she was formulating a battle plan to assassinate both Kages before they met up. A difficult task to the say the least, but absolutely feasible. Honestly she was terrified. Well, maybe terrified is too strong of a word. Perhaps anxious would be better. Her role in this would be to face The Raikage and Kakashi in direct combat with Kenpachi as "support". Of course her idea of direct combat is a bit different but still Ay's combat prowess is legendary. As strong as she is, his speed will be a problem, added to that issue is his right hand man Darui. Not to mention Kakashi was much stronger than expected, considering he lost his sharingan. But above she is soldier and soldiers do their jobs no questions asked.

"Kenpachi what is the status of the strike team?" True to his nature he gave her a crazed smile that always chilled her.

"Lady Rei I'm disappointed. We haven't seen each other in so long and I don't even get a greeting, so business like and cold. However, the strike team is nearly in place. As per your orders when we engage the Raikage and his entourage they will kidnap his son. It is of note that the Jinchuriki is nowhere to be found. Although given his penchant for erratic behavior I suppose that isn't a surprise." Rei frowned at that. This is precisely the type of loose end that could result in disaster. Killer B is not an enemy to take lightly.

"Hmm, ok then. Send word to Kentaro to head here as quickly as possible. He will be their shadow once they make it outside the village. When you're done we will move out. Then sooner we are in position the better." Kenpachi smirked then answered.

"Yes ma'am" Walking away Kenpachi soaked up the feeling of nervousness he elicited in Lady Rei. Truth told he was not insane, just exceedingly good at what he does. What he does is kill people, ruthlessly and efficiently. Not only that, but he loved the thrill of battle. Clan less and an orphan it wasn't long before he had to fight simply to survive. Surviving eventually turned to thriving as he gained a reputation as a skilled fighter in the underworld circuit. Despite his young age, barely 18, he was a master assassin. He had Sago to thank for that. Seeing him fight at the tender age of 9, Sago was impressed with his fearless destruction of a grizzled veteran. He offered to train the young man and the rest as they say became blood soaked pages of history.

Reaching his destination, the messengers' bird cages Kenpachi's mind turned to his latest quarry. Hinata Hyuuga, the Shinigami of the leaf. In their brief but thrilling battle she did not disappoint. It would almost be a shame to kill someone so lovely_. 'Perhaps I can convince Lady Youki to use that particular jutsu,' _he thought as he sent a message to Kentaro. Hopefully he is close and can get in position quickly. Word has it that the Raikage's groups were nearly ready to depart. Also activity out of the Leaf pointed to the Hokage about to leave as well. As far as he knew Lady Yui and Lady Youki were to take on the Hokage. If they succeeded the Leaf would be temporality thrown into and severely weakened. Of course they didn't have a plant to take the Hokage's place but things rarely are perfect, besides things didn't have to be perfect for The Arrival, just satisfactory. His job done Kenpachi decided to simply rest up, after all tomorrow the first real strike in the Order's plan would commence.

**Hidden Leaf village**

The 5th Hokage was already beginning to regret deciding meet the Raikage. It seemed as if the Paperwork devils decided to multiply the accursed foe on the eve of her journey. Added to the last minute work a messenger bird from Kakashi confirmed the presence of assassins seeking to attack her on route to the meeting. The reports indicate the mysterious Way of the Red Sun at the helm. Honestly that in it of itself didn't bother her. As a ninja life was fraught with peril. No, what bothered her is she had yet to officially name her successor. As she studied the past she realized she was at the same junction that Sarutobi-sensei reached. Old and getting older by the minute, she knew that her abilities were becoming dull. She had at best another 10 years at this level, and then they would drop off significantly. Oh to be sure she would still be more than a match for most opponents, but not Kage level, at least not to her standards.

"Shinuze, has there any word from Sakura's team? "She asked her student.

"Yes Lady Tsunade. She has arrived as per your orders and is awaiting the right time," the pretty dark hair woman replied. "Also Shikamaru has sent word regarding the matter in Kiri. It appears that another out post has been established both there and near the former Uzushiogakure. Additionally they have uncovered a temple of sorts but it looks as though there is a blood seal barring entry."

"I see. Once Naruto gets back from his mission I will send him there. Perhaps the temple will help shed some light on his clan's history. Well let's get this show on the road. Shizune send them in."

"Yes Lady Tsunade." Leaving the Hokage's office, Shizune went to inform those waiting to see the Hokage. A few seconds later Choza Akimichi and Yamato entered the office. With the death of Shikaku and Inoichi the title of Jounin commander fell to Choza. Similarly a raise in rank was granted to Yamato. He was now ANBU commander. Tsunade began without preamble. That, in it of itself served to alert the veteran ninja something big loomed in the air.

"Gentleman, a storm is brewing as you are well aware. This organization is starting to trouble me. At this point we know nothing of their endgame. What we do know is they will seek to assassinate the Raikage and myself. We know they have a spy network that has contacts in at least 3 of the 5 great nations." She paused a bit.

"Yamato, in the event I do not make it back Kakashi is to be named the 6th Hokage. He has been informed and he accepts. That is the main reason why I requested that particular ANBU squad to be sent to him. Choza ,I want security tightened. Use the seals that Ten-ten and Naruto designed. They will give our forces the advantage in the event of an attack. Finally be vigilant and push our forces to train hard," she finished with a stern look.

"It will be done Hokage-sama. If I may, what of the chunin exams upcoming in 6 months," Choza asked. Tsunade had to think about that for a second. While it is true that these particular spies trouble her, it wouldn't be prudent to let them dictate Konoha's affairs. However, as proven by her wayward teammate the exams are the perfect cover for an assault.

"If all goes well then we have them as planned. If not, I leave that up to Kakashi with a recommendation to proceed if the village is able. The appearance of strength is vital to our position. "Choza and Yamato both nodded and bowed then were dismissed. Taking a last long look at the village from her window the 5th Hokage went off to meet with her counterpart, her ANBU escort and other guards close at hand. Soon blood would soak the land and the heavens would weep.

**A/N: ** Sorry for the wait. I figure let me take my time and write quality rather than rush it. Anyway I want to make something's clear. The main enemies: Sago, Kenpachi, Rei, Kentaro, Youki, and Yui are very strong. Kage level in fact. Or at least S class jounin. Also some characters will be OC, chalk it up to war experience. Also Naruto is far from a god, but he is extremely powerful Sasuke, Sakura and Hinata are powerful as well. In fact most enemies won't stand a chance once they become serous. That said there will be death, and injuries. This is a fic about ninja so expect intrigue and guile. That's it. Please rate and review, I'm dying to start a dialogue with you all. Peace.


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